Many years ago, Brother Hou and his wife Ding took their children to the provincial capital Zhengzhou from their hometown of Shangqiu, Henan Province, so that they could earn a living and support their children's education.
The couple met believers in the church. Everyone prayed for the family and helped them find jobs. In the end, Brother Hou's wife, Sister Ding, also worked as a sanitation worker in the street office, and the provincial People's Hospital hired him as a back office maintenance worker with his carpentry skills.
Later, a sister found that Brother Hou had a deep voice and was a rare "bass", so she invited him to join the chorus team. In this way, he became the only bass in the choir of Taikang Road Church for many years.
Sister Ding also joined the church service team for cleaning, welcoming brothers and sisters, and helping elderly believers. The couple relied on themselves to provide their son with college graduation and their daughter with nursing college.
Brother Hou also bought a house in Zhengzhou with the help and prayers of believers. After graduation, her daughter Xiaomin was hired as a nurse in the best hospital in the province, as the hospital leader saw that Brother Hou was dedicated to his job. His son has always dreamed of going abroad, but Brother Hou said that it was good enough that they could finish their college education.
His son was then hired by a multinational company in the United States with an annual salary of more than 100 thousand dollars. Now he has settled in the United States, married a Chinese believer, and had his own son.
But later, Sister Ding did not want to go to church, privately complaining that the sisters in the service team laughed at her, spoke ill of her, and scolded her. She also complained that her nearly 30-year-old daughter has not been married, as her husband did not worry about it. She also talked about all the grievances she suffered in her original family when she was a child, and she hated her parents and relatives.
Sister Ding's mental illness was getting worse, and she never went out. During the day, she slept at home as Brother Hou went to work and did not even cook for her husband. In the evening, she swore and even went crazy, hitting people when Brother Hou wanted to rest. She stayed up all night, making her neighbors sleepless. The neighbors called the police, and Brother Hou had to make amends and apologize.
One day, when Brother Hou was working, the police called and said that his wife had poured a basin of dirty water on pedestrians from upstairs. The victim called the police, and Brother Hou had to rush home. He was about to go crazy!
A believer suggested Brother Hou take Sister Ding to see a psychiatrist. During the three years of the pandemic, they went to Xinxiang Mental Hospital several times for hospitalization and treatment. But drugs can only last for a while. Whenever Brother Hou takes his wife home, it won't be long before her illness recurs. She was still complaining, hating, cursing, and even attacking husbands and passersby.
When the pandemic ended last year, Brother Hou went through a lot of difficulties to take his wife home from the hospital again, as the cars could not take the highway due to the city lockdown. Before long, his wife fell ill again.
Some advised Hou to send her to a special pension institution where her daily life could be cared for. But Brother Hou was reluctant to give up. Now the hospital has retired him and rehired him to work. But Brother Hou won’t give up his wife, as taking care of her is his lifelong commitment and responsibility.
Not every witness is complete and perfect. “Father, for so it was pleasing in your eyes.” Nothing will happen to us unless the Lord allows it.
(This article is originally published by the Gospel Times and the author is a Christian in Henan.)
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
多年以前，侯弟兄和爱人丁姊妹带着一对儿女从河南商丘老家来到省会郑州打工。为了孩子上学，也为了能有口饭吃。
侯弟兄和爱人遇到了教会的信徒，大家为侯弟兄一家祷告，也帮他们寻找工作。最终，因侯弟兄有木工技术，被省人民医院聘为后勤维修；而爱人丁姊妹也在街道干环卫工。
之后，有位姊妹发现侯弟兄嗓音浑厚低沉，是难得的一位“男低音”，就邀请侯弟兄加入诗班。就这样，成为康路教会唱诗班多年唯一的男低音。
丁姊妹也加入教会服侍组，打扫卫生，迎接弟兄姐妹，帮助老年信徒等。夫妻靠自己双手将儿子供到大学毕业、女儿上完护士学院。
侯弟兄靠着信徒的代祷和帮助，也在郑州买了房子。女儿毕业后，因为侯弟兄敬业爱岗，医院领导问起他的女儿工作的事，并将女儿小敏留在了这家省内最好的医院作护士。儿子一直梦想着出国，但侯弟兄说供俩孩子上完学已经很不错了。
儿子自己联系了美国一家跨国公司，年薪十几万美元。儿子现已定居美国，娶妻（也是一位华人信徒）生子了。
可是后来，丁姊妹不愿再到教会了。私下抱怨服侍组的姊妹嘲笑她，说她坏话，骂她。又埋怨近三十岁的女儿还没有婆家，都是弟兄不操心。又忆起幼年时原生家庭所受的一切委屈，恨父母、怨亲人……
丁姊妹的心理疾病越来越恶化。不再出门。白天弟兄上班，她在家睡觉，也不为弟兄做饭。晚上，弟兄要休息，她却破口大骂，甚至疯狂起来动手打人。她整夜不睡，闹得四邻不眠，邻居报警，侯弟兄不得不赔罪、道歉。
有一天，当弟兄正在医院上班，警方打来电话，称妻子将一盆脏水从楼上泼到大街行人身上。受害人报警，弟兄只得赶回家中。侯弟兄快要崩溃了！
一位信徒建议弟兄带丁姊妹去看心理医生。疫情三年，他们数次到新乡精神病院住院，接受治疗。但医生、药物只能维持一段时间。每当侯弟兄将妻子接回家，过不了多久，妻子又旧病复发。照样抱怨、仇恨、大骂甚至动手攻击丈夫、路人。
去年疫情结束前，侯弟兄再次从精神病院历尽艰难才将妻子接回家（因为当地封城，大小车辆不能上高速等）。没多久，妻子又犯病了。
有人劝侯把她送到特殊养老机构，在那儿有人管理吃住。但侯弟兄不舍，现在医院给他办了退休手续，又返聘他回去工作。但侯弟兄不愿放弃妻子，毕竟照顾妻子，是自己一生的承诺和责任。
不是每个见证都圆满、完美。我们相信凡事都有祂的美意。主若不许，没有一件事会临到我们身上。（==当summary）
注：本文为特约/自由撰稿人文章，作者系河南一名基督徒。
https://www.gospeltimes.cn/article/index/id/67982
记在家庭逼迫苦难中忍耐守候的侯弟兄
Many years ago, Brother Hou and his wife Ding took their children to the provincial capital Zhengzhou from their hometown of Shangqiu, Henan Province, so that they could earn a living and support their children's education.
The couple met believers in the church. Everyone prayed for the family and helped them find jobs. In the end, Brother Hou's wife, Sister Ding, also worked as a sanitation worker in the street office, and the provincial People's Hospital hired him as a back office maintenance worker with his carpentry skills.
Later, a sister found that Brother Hou had a deep voice and was a rare "bass", so she invited him to join the chorus team. In this way, he became the only bass in the choir of Taikang Road Church for many years.
Sister Ding also joined the church service team for cleaning, welcoming brothers and sisters, and helping elderly believers. The couple relied on themselves to provide their son with college graduation and their daughter with nursing college.
Brother Hou also bought a house in Zhengzhou with the help and prayers of believers. After graduation, her daughter Xiaomin was hired as a nurse in the best hospital in the province, as the hospital leader saw that Brother Hou was dedicated to his job. His son has always dreamed of going abroad, but Brother Hou said that it was good enough that they could finish their college education.
His son was then hired by a multinational company in the United States with an annual salary of more than 100 thousand dollars. Now he has settled in the United States, married a Chinese believer, and had his own son.
But later, Sister Ding did not want to go to church, privately complaining that the sisters in the service team laughed at her, spoke ill of her, and scolded her. She also complained that her nearly 30-year-old daughter has not been married, as her husband did not worry about it. She also talked about all the grievances she suffered in her original family when she was a child, and she hated her parents and relatives.
Sister Ding's mental illness was getting worse, and she never went out. During the day, she slept at home as Brother Hou went to work and did not even cook for her husband. In the evening, she swore and even went crazy, hitting people when Brother Hou wanted to rest. She stayed up all night, making her neighbors sleepless. The neighbors called the police, and Brother Hou had to make amends and apologize.
One day, when Brother Hou was working, the police called and said that his wife had poured a basin of dirty water on pedestrians from upstairs. The victim called the police, and Brother Hou had to rush home. He was about to go crazy!
A believer suggested Brother Hou take Sister Ding to see a psychiatrist. During the three years of the pandemic, they went to Xinxiang Mental Hospital several times for hospitalization and treatment. But drugs can only last for a while. Whenever Brother Hou takes his wife home, it won't be long before her illness recurs. She was still complaining, hating, cursing, and even attacking husbands and passersby.
When the pandemic ended last year, Brother Hou went through a lot of difficulties to take his wife home from the hospital again, as the cars could not take the highway due to the city lockdown. Before long, his wife fell ill again.
Some advised Hou to send her to a special pension institution where her daily life could be cared for. But Brother Hou was reluctant to give up. Now the hospital has retired him and rehired him to work. But Brother Hou won’t give up his wife, as taking care of her is his lifelong commitment and responsibility.
Not every witness is complete and perfect. “Father, for so it was pleasing in your eyes.” Nothing will happen to us unless the Lord allows it.
(This article is originally published by the Gospel Times and the author is a Christian in Henan.)
- Translated by Oliver Zuo
Brother Hou Waits Patiently Amidst the Hardships of Family Persecution
